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Welcome to April's Car of the Month Winner
Alex Pitt | 2012 VW Scirocco | @_alex_rocco
Gracing the world with its presence in 2008, the Mk3 VW Scirocco has quickly become a favourite among us in the car world. It's sleek two-door coupe appearance paired with the dependability and quality that comes with the VAG badge of honour means it really is a perfect all-rounder. Whether you were going to be hammering 1.4l TSI around the city for a quick comfortable commute or whether you prefer racking up the mileage with a 2.0l TDI for motorway cruising further afield, for daily tasks the Scirocco has you covered.
Yet although originally designed to be a good-looking, sporty, practical everyday vehicle, if you wanted something a little bit more race-y, the Scirocco has this in hand too. In May 2008, VW entered 3 Scirocco's into the 24 hours of Le Mans with two of them finishing in 11th and 15th in a grid made up of 200 entrants. Most notably for VW they beat their firm rivals - a pair of Opel Astra H GTC's - who's campaign was closely documented on a TV show. Racing victories didn't stop there as the Scirocco went on to win the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship in 2012.
Come today, and none of that racing pedigree is wasted in the conception of these cars:
"I bought the car because I saw a video of a Scirocco fitted with an Aspec wide-bodykit and fell in love with it!"
With track time comes aftermarket parts and with aftermarket parts comes a whole host of support and options for unleashing your humble daily's inner high-octane, adrenaline fuelled self. For Alex it was seeing an already created final form of the Rocco that made him venture on the quest himself.
In staying true to the original vision, Alex wasted no time acquiring the Apsec rear wing. A wing that can only be described as its very own structure, the larger size is actually complimentary to the body shape of the Rocco and doesn't over-power the exterior. If anything, the wing helps add a sense of drama to an already aggressive rear end with the partnership of the Maxton Design rear diffuser and quad exhaust exit.
"The biggest challenge for this build would have to be trying to remain original and to be as unique as possible. A lot of cars all look the same and I just wanted to be different. It's hard to stand out, but I've definitely put my own touches on this car."
There are definitely unique touches on display within Alex's build. For instance, not happy with the original VW fuel cap, Alex has replaced this with one from a Porsche 911. Similarly the engine coolant and engine oil caps have been removed and in their place sit caps from an Audi R8. It's all in the details!
Aside from the first glimpse of a wide-bodied Rocco which sparked this entire creation, Alex goes on to state that there was just one other goal he had in mind for his project.
"Nothing really inspired me, I just knew I wanted to create one of the cleanest Scirocco's in the show scene. Now two years - and a lot of money - down the line, I'm very pleased with my build."
Alex's Rocco is clean but features enough little touches to demonstrate a racier edge. I love the brand decals running along the bottom of the side panels. By keeping these all one colour Alex has maintained a monochrome exterior which always helps keep things clean and tidy.
When it comes to colour (unless you're going for a highly intricate drift / track inspired livery) less is always more, so keep the palette limited. The general rule of thumb within design is to stick to the 'Rule of 3' complimentary colours.
So with the clean style and a project two years in the making, what is Alex's favourite feature of the Scirocco?
"I would definitely say the bags have to be my favourite as I've always wanted to have a bagged car and this is my first one. I love the older generation are so baffled by how low my car is and always ask how I get over speed bumps. It's always a conversation starter with all sorts of people and I love that."
Like many bagged car owners, being able to adjust the ride height with the simple switch of a button is a feeling that becomes intoxicating. Pulling-up, airing-out, looking back, and seeing your pride & joy caressing the ground is a feeling that will never get old and it seems to have well-and-truly got into Alex's system.
Also don't be fooled into thinking you lose any of the responsive and engaging driving experience expected from the Scirocco with the air suspension installed.
"My car is great to drive, feels amazing down the windy lanes and great on long journeys down the motorway. The ride is a little bumpy and noisy due to having 35 sidewall tyres, but other than that the car handles great, is great fun all year round, and never fails to put a smile on my face!"
A smile that younger Alex would very much be displaying also. The individual, who like most of us, was introduced to the world of car culture through the Fast & Furious movies. Who then dipped his toes into modifying cars with the right of passage that is passing your test and getting your hands on your very first car. As we tinker with cars, they get bigger, more powerful, more expensive and more desirable. The mods get more intricate, more technical, more impactful, and ultimately more expensive, but the initial child-like enthusiasm never fades (even after mercilessly wrestling with that one bolt... you know the one...yeh, that one.)
Spec Sheet:
Power Output:
215bhp | 350 lb/ft
Suspension Setup:
Airlift Performance V2 w/ Slam Series Bags
Wheels & Tyres:
ESR CS11 Graphite Wheels
Accelera 651 Sport Tyres
Performance Modifications:
Oversized Ramair Induction Kit
3" Cat-Back Exhaust
DPF Gutted
Fully Custom Rolling Road Remap
Big Brake Kit
Exterior Modifications:
Scirocco R Front Bumper
Scirocco R Maxton Design Low Line Kit
Clear Rear Lights
Aspec Carbon Fibre Spoiler
Carbon Fibre VW Badges
Carbon Fibre Wing Mirrors
Sequential Indicators
Carbon Fibre Eyelids
Interior Modifications:
Carbon Fibre Interior Trims
Porsche 911 Fuel Cap
Audi R8 Coolant & Engine Oil Caps
Corbeau Clubsport Bucket Seats w/ Custom Blue Glitter Backs
OMP 3" Harnesses
Custom Boot Build
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